JP6828540B2 - Image forming device, coexistence elimination method of print setting value and coexistence elimination program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as an MFP (Multi Function Peripherala) which is a multi-function digital multifunction device, a coexistence elimination method of print setting values executed by the apparatus, and a coexistence elimination program.

When an image forming apparatus such as the above-mentioned MFP receives a print instruction of a print file in which a PJL (Printer Job Language) command is described in a document file, it prints based on the print setting value by the PJL command. There is.

However, the PJL command may already be given before the print setting at the time of printing. For example, when scanning a document, the setting option at the time of printing the document may be selected in advance, the PJL command may be given in the document file, and the document may be saved in the storage area. This is convenient because the user can directly print the document without being aware of the print settings.

Further, in the print application by the internal web server (IWS) that can be created by a third party, it is possible to set the print after adding image processing or the like to the document file.

In addition, a document file for which print settings have been made in advance may be stored in a shared folder or the like so that the user can print to another user with his / her own print settings.

However, when printing a document file to which the PJL command has already been given as described above, if another print option is set and the PJL command is given, the print setting values by multiple PJL commands coexist in the print file. become.

When a plurality of PJL commands are assigned in the document file in this way, conventionally, the MFP interprets the assigned PJL commands in order from the top without judging the coexistence of the setting values, and the settings described at the bottom. The setting value described above was rewritten with the value.

In Patent Document 1, as an image forming apparatus capable of suppressing image formation under unexpected image forming conditions, printing of a saving job when a saving job is printed by an image forming unit before receiving a printing instruction is printed. It is confirmed whether the setting (first condition) is saved on the hard disk. When the print settings of the save job are saved on the hard disk, the print settings of the save job and the print settings (second condition) of the printer saved on the hard disk as the printer settings when receiving the print instruction are not the same. At that time, an image forming apparatus for displaying on the display unit that the print setting of the save job and the print setting of the printer are different is disclosed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-68499

However, when multiple PJL commands are assigned in the document file, the assigned PJL commands are interpreted in order from the top without judging the coexistence of the set values, and the set values described at the bottom are described at the top. If the setting value is rewritten and the process is performed, printing may be performed with the print setting value not intended by the user, which is not convenient.

In the technique described in Patent Document 1, when the print setting of the save job and the print setting of the printer saved on the hard disk as the printer setting at the time of receiving the print instruction are not the same, the print setting of the save job and the printer Since it is a technique to display on the display part that the print settings are different from the above, and it is not a technique when multiple PJL commands are assigned in one document file, multiple PJL commands can be displayed in one document file. If it was given, it could not provide a solution to the problem that printing was performed with the print setting value not intended by the user.

The present invention has been made in view of such a technical background, and when a plurality of PJL commands are given in one document file, printing is performed with print setting values not intended by the user. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus that suppresses the above, and further to provide a coexistence elimination method and a coexistence elimination program of print setting values executed by the apparatus.

The above problem is solved by the following means.
(1) When writing a PJL command in a document file, a determination means for determining whether or not print setting values by a plurality of PJL commands coexist in the document file, and a print setting value by a plurality of PJL commands by the determination means. An image forming apparatus comprising: a coexistence elimination means for executing a process of eliminating coexistence when it is determined that coexistence is present.
(2) The image forming apparatus according to item 1 above, which comprises a computer, wherein the determination means and the coexistence elimination means are realized by the computer executing an application platform.
(3) The image forming apparatus according to item 1 above, which comprises a computer, and the determination means and the coexistence elimination means are realized by the computer executing the firmware of the image forming apparatus.
(4) The determination means determines whether or not the print setting values by the plurality of PJL commands coexist by determining whether or not the parameters indicating the same print setting values exist in the plurality of PJL commands. The image forming apparatus according to any one of the above items 1 to 3.
(5) The determination means is any one of the above items 1 to 3 for determining whether or not the print setting values by the plurality of PJL commands coexist by determining whether or not there are a plurality of described PJL sets. The image forming apparatus according to.
(6) The image forming apparatus according to any one of the preceding items 1 to 5, wherein the coexistence elimination means presents the coexistence content to the user and determines the print setting value based on the user's selection to eliminate the coexistence.
(7) The image forming apparatus according to any one of the above items 1 to 5, wherein the coexistence elimination means eliminates coexistence by determining a print setting value based on a preset priority.
(8) The image forming apparatus according to item 7 above, wherein the print setting values that are inconsistent among a plurality of print setting values are set with high priority of the later print setting values.
(9) The image forming apparatus according to item 7 above, wherein the priority of the previous setting is set high.
(10) The image forming apparatus according to any one of the preceding items 1 to 5, wherein the coexistence elimination means eliminates coexistence by determining a print setting value based on preset user authority.
(11) When writing a PJL command in a document file, a determination step for determining whether or not print setting values by a plurality of PJL commands coexist in the document file, and a determination step for determining whether or not print setting values by a plurality of PJL commands coexist in the document file A method for eliminating the coexistence of print setting values in an image forming apparatus, which comprises a coexistence elimination step for executing a process for eliminating the coexistence when it is determined that the coexistences occur.
(12) When writing a PJL command in a document file, a determination step for determining whether or not print setting values by a plurality of PJL commands coexist in the document file, and a determination step for determining whether or not print setting values by a plurality of PJL commands coexist in the document file, and print setting values by a plurality of PJL commands by the determination step. A coexistence elimination program for causing the computer of the image forming apparatus to execute the coexistence elimination step for executing the process for eliminating the coexistence when it is determined that the coexistence is coexisting.

According to the invention described in the previous section (1), when a PJL command is described in a document file, it is determined whether or not print setting values by a plurality of PJL commands coexist in the document file, and printing by a plurality of PJL commands is performed. If it is determined that the set values coexist, a process to eliminate the coexistence is executed. Therefore, it is possible to execute the coexistence elimination process that reflects the user's intention as compared with the conventional process that interprets the given PJL commands in order from the top without determining the coexistence of the set values, which is not the user's intention. It is possible to suppress printing with the print setting value.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph (2), when the computer of the image forming apparatus executes the application platform, it is possible to determine whether or not the print setting values by a plurality of PJL commands coexist, and to eliminate the coexistence. Will be executed.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph (3), the computer of the image forming apparatus determines whether or not the print setting values by a plurality of PJL commands coexist by executing the firmware of the image forming apparatus, and eliminates the coexistence. The process to be executed is executed.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph (4), whether the print setting values by the plurality of PJL commands coexist by determining whether or not the parameters indicating the same print setting values exist in the plurality of PJL commands. You can definitely judge whether or not.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph (5), by determining whether or not there are a plurality of described sets of PJL, it is surely determined whether or not the print setting values by the plurality of PJL commands coexist. Can be done.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph (6), the coexistence content is presented to the user, and the coexistence is eliminated by determining the print setting value based on the user's selection, so that the user's intention is surely reflected. Print setting values can be set.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph (7), coexistence is eliminated by determining the print setting value based on the preset priority, so that the print setting value having a high priority can be set.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph (8), the print setting values that are inconsistent among the plurality of print setting values are set later because the priority of the later print setting values is set high. It can reflect the user's intention.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph (9), since the priority of the previous setting is set high, it is possible to reflect the intention of the user who made the setting earlier.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph (10), since the print setting value is determined based on the preset user authority, the print setting value that reflects the user authority can be set.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph (11), the coexistence elimination process that reflects the user's intention is performed as compared with the conventional process of interpreting the assigned PJL commands in order from the top without determining the coexistence of the set values. It can be executed, and it is possible to suppress printing with a print setting value not intended by the user.

According to the invention described in the previous section (12), when a PJL command is described in a document file, a determination step for determining whether or not print setting values by a plurality of PJL commands coexist in the document file and a determination step are used. When it is determined that the print setting values by the plurality of PJL commands coexist, the computer of the image forming apparatus can be made to execute the coexistence elimination step of executing the process of eliminating the coexistence.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the image forming apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the software structure of the internal web server in an image forming apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the process at the time of writing the 1st PJL command in a document file. It is a flowchart which shows the process when the 2nd PJL command is further described in the state where the 1st PJL command is described. (A) to (C) are diagrams for explaining a specific example in the case where print setting values by a plurality of PJL commands coexist. (A) to (C) are diagrams for explaining the coexistence elimination process when it is determined that the print setting values by a plurality of PJL commands coexist.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the above-mentioned MFP, which is a multifunctional digital multifunction device having a copy function, a printer function, a scanning function, a facsimile function, and the like, is used as the image forming apparatus 1. Hereinafter, the image processing device is also referred to as an MFP.

As shown in FIG. 1, the MFP 1 includes a control unit 100, a fixed storage device 110, an image reading device 120, an operation panel 130, an image output device 140, a printer controller 150, a network interface (network I / F) 160, and the like. They are connected to each other via the system bus 175.

The control unit 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 102, an S-RAM (Static Random Access Memory) 103, an NV-RAM (Non Volatile RAM) 104, a clock IC 105, and the like.

The CPU 101 comprehensively controls the entire MFP 1 by executing an operation program stored in the ROM 102 or the like. For example, in addition to controlling the copy function, printer function, scan function, facsimile function, etc. in an executable manner, especially in this embodiment, is the print setting value by a plurality of PJL commands coexisting when the PJL command is described in the document file? If it is determined whether or not the print setting values by a plurality of PJL commands coexist, a process for eliminating the coexistence is executed. Details will be described later.

The ROM 102 stores a program executed by the CPU 101 and other data.

The S-RAM 103 serves as a work area when the CPU 101 executes a program, and temporarily stores the program, data when the program is executed, and the like.

The NV-RAM 104 is a non-volatile memory backed up by a battery, and stores various settings and the like related to image formation.

The clock IC 105 measures the time and functions as an internal timer to measure the processing time and the like.

The fixed storage device 110 is composed of a hard disk or the like, and stores programs, various data, and the like.

The image reading device 120 includes a scanner or the like, scans a document set on the platen glass, scans the document, and converts the scanned document into image data.

The operation panel 130 is used when the user gives instructions such as a job to the MFP 1 and makes various settings, and includes a reset-131, a start key 132, a stop key 133, a display unit 134, a touch panel 135, and the like.

The reset key 131 is used to reset the settings, the start key 132 is used for a start operation such as scanning, and the stop key 133 is pressed when the operation is interrupted. Is.

The display unit 134 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display device and displays a message, various operation screens, and the like. The touch panel 135 is formed on the screen of the display unit 134 and detects a user's touch operation.

The image output device 140 prepares a document file composed of image data of a document read by the image reading device 120, a document file stored in the fixed storage device 110, a document file transmitted from an external device, and the like as a document file. The print setting value by the PJL command described in is printed on the paper accordingly.

The printer controller 150 generates a print image from a document file received by the network interface 160.

The network interface (network I / F) 160 functions as a communication means for transmitting and receiving data to and from an external terminal device or the like.

In this embodiment, the MFP 1 has an internal web server (IWS) built-in. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a software configuration of an internal web server. The IWS includes an application platform (application PF), a scan application for setting scan settings (Scan application), and a print application for setting print settings (Print application). These applications are stored in a ROM 102, a fixed storage device 110, or the like, and the CPU 101 of the control unit 100 operates based on these applications to exert a function as an IWS.

Reference numeral 15 shown in FIG. 2 is a function on the MFP1 side and includes the firmware of the MFP1. Reference numeral 14 is a shared folder (also referred to as BOX) formed in the fixed storage device 110 and accessible to a plurality of users, and reference numeral 200 is a storage area of the external storage device accessible to the MFP 1 via the network.

Next, the operation of the MFP 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be described.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a process when the first PJL command is described in the document file. In this example, the case where the PJL command is described in the document file created by reading the original is shown.

When the user selects the print option by the Scan application 12 and sets the print setting value at the time of executing the scan process, the CPU 101 of the MFP 1 accepts this in step S01. Next, in step S02, based on the firmware (FW) of the MFP 1, the CPU 101 adds (describes) the received print setting value to the document file by the PJL command, and saves the document file in, for example, the shared folder 14.

FIG. 4 shows a second PJL command when the user sets print settings by the Print application 13 for a document file saved in the shared folder 14 in a state where the first PJL command is described by processing the flowchart of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the process when is described.

When the user selects the print option by the Print application 13, specifies the document file saved in the shared folder 14, sets the print setting value, and instructs printing, the CPU 101 of the MFP 1 accepts this in step S11.

In step S12, the CPU 101 assigns (describes) the received print setting value to the document file by the PJL command based on the firmware of the Print application 13 or the MFP1. In step S13, the CPU 101 determines whether or not the print setting values by the plurality of PJL commands coexist in the document file based on the firmware of the application PF11 or the MFP1. This determination may be made by determining whether or not there are parameters indicating the same print setting value in each of the plurality of PJL commands. For example, it is determined whether or not there are a plurality of parameters "@PJL OVERRIDEBINDING = ..." indicating the positions of staples and punch holes. Further, it may be determined whether or not the print setting values by the plurality of PJL commands coexist by determining whether or not there are a plurality of described PJL sets. For example, if there are a plurality of "% -12345X @ PJL" at the beginning of the PJL command, it is determined that the print setting values by the plurality of PJL commands coexist because there are a plurality of PJL sets.

If the print setting values by the plurality of PJL commands coexist (YES in step S03), in step S14, it is determined whether or not the coexistence should be resolved by whether or not the setting for eliminating the coexistence is made in advance. If the coexistence is not resolved (NO in step S14), the process ends. In this case, it is processed in the same manner as before.

If it is determined that the coexistence should be resolved (YES in step S14), the CPU 101 executes the coexistence resolution process based on the firmware of the MFP1 or the application PF11 in step S15. The coexistence resolution process will be described later. Printing is executed after the coexistence cancellation process.

In step S13, if the document file does not coexist with print setting values by a plurality of PJL commands (NO in step S13), the process ends. Therefore, in this case, printing is executed with the print setting value set at the time of the print instruction.

A specific example will be described below when print setting values by a plurality of PJL commands coexist.

FIG. 5A is a document in which a PJL command is described and saved in a shared folder (BOX) 14 when a user 300 selects a print option when executing a scan by the MFP 1, as described in the flowchart of FIG. File 400 is shown. The inside of the frame is the print setting value described by the PJL command 500. In this example, staple two places on the left edge of the printing paper (@PJL OVERRIDEFINISH = ANY2POINT, @PJL OVERRIDEBINDING = LEFT), add a watermark (@PJL SETWATERMARKMODE = ON), and perform double-sided printing (@PJL SETWATERMARKMODE = ON). @PJL OVERRIDEDUPLEX = ON), are set respectively.

FIG. 5B shows a case where the user prints the document file 400 shown in FIG. 5A stored in the BOX by adding an additional function and selecting a print option (Box To Print). It is a figure for demonstrating the state of. In this example, the user 300 selects print setting values such as adding a red line to the document file 400 and printing it out, punching two punch holes at the top of the printed matter, and single-sided printing.

FIG. 5C shows how the print setting value of FIG. 5B is described in the document file 400 by the PJL command. In the document file 400, a first PJL command 500 described at the time of scanning execution and a second PJL command 600 described at the time of printing are described.

As shown in step S13 of the flowchart of FIG. 4, the CPU 101 of the MFP 1 determines whether or not the print setting values by the plurality of PJL commands coexist in the document file 400. If there are a plurality of them and the coexistence should be resolved, the coexistence resolution process is executed according to a preset rule.

In this example, if there is an incompatible (inconsistent) print setting value, the user is allowed to select it.

As shown in FIG. 5C, comparing the first and second PJL commands 500 and 600, for example, two parameters such as "@PJL OVERRIDEBINDING = ..." exist in the document file. The print setting value by the PJL command of is coexisting. That is, as shown in FIG. 6A, staples and punches, which are coexisting print values, are prohibited from being combined (combination prohibited), and are set to be incompatible with each other. Further, the positions are different between the staple position (LEFT) and the punch position (TOP). Further, double-sided printing is selected by the first PJL command 500 at the time of scanning, and single-sided printing is selected by the second PJL command 600 at the time of printing, and the double-sided / single-sided printing modes are different. The watermark can be combined with any setting. Reference numeral 600a in FIG. 6A indicates the content of the print setting value set by the second PJL command 600.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the CPU 101 of the MFP 1 has a print setting value by the first PJL command 500 and a print setting value by the second PJL command 600, as shown in FIG. 6B, based on the application PF11 and the like. A display screen for the user 300 to select an inconsistent setting value is created by HTML, displayed on the display unit 134 of the operation panel 130, and selected by the user 300. On the display screen shown in FIG. 6B, a button for selecting a setting value that requires the user to select, a confirmation message as to whether or not printing can be started with the selected content, and "Start" and "Cancel" are displayed. Each button of is displayed. In this display screen, the second PJL command 600, which is a later setting, is prioritized, and the print setting value by the second PJL command 600 is selected as the initial screen.

As described above, the watermark can be combined with any of the settings, but in the example of FIG. 6B, the user is asked to confirm again whether or not to add the watermark.

When the user 300 selects a set value on the screen and presses the "start" button, as shown in FIG. 6 (C), the CPU 101 of the MFP 1 performs the PJL as selected for the set value selected by the user. While rewriting the contents of the command, for the setting values that are consistent between the print setting value by the first PJL command 500 and the print setting value by the second PJL command 600, those setting values are adopted as they are. Then, the document file is transmitted from the application PF11 to the MFP1 for direct printing.

As described above, in this embodiment, the coexistence content is presented to the user 300, and the coexistence is eliminated by determining the print setting value based on the user 300's selection, so that the intention of the user 300 is surely reflected. Print setting values can be set.

The coexistence resolution process is not limited to the method of presenting the coexistence content to the user 300 to select it, and another coexistence resolution process may be adopted. As another coexistence elimination process, the print setting value may be determined based on a preset priority. For example, when a plurality of inconsistent print setting values coexist, the priority of the print setting value by the second PJL command 600 is set high, and this print setting value is selected without letting the user select it. You may. In this case, the intention of the user who made the print settings later can be reflected.

In addition, the priority of the previous setting may be set high. In this case, instead of giving priority to the first PJL command, which is the previous setting, only the print setting values that cannot be matched may be given priority to all the print setting values by the first PJL command 500. In this case, the intention of the user who made the above settings can be reflected.

Further, the coexistence may be eliminated by determining the print setting value based on the preset authority of the user who has given the PJL command. For example, the setting by the administrator of MFP1 may be prioritized, and the setting of a general user may not be prioritized. In this case, information set by the administrator (for example, "@PJL COMMENT") may be added to the comment part of the PJL command and used for judgment. Further, the setting of the user who creates the document may be prioritized, and the setting of the user who prints may not be prioritized. In this case as well, the creator information may be added to the comment part of the PJL command and used for judgment. In this way, since the print setting value is determined based on the preset user authority, it is possible to set the print setting value reflecting the user authority.

1 Image forming device 11 Application platform 12 Scan application 13 Print application 14 Shared folder 100 Control unit 101 CPU
102 ROM
110 Fixed storage device 120 Image reader 140 Image output device 300 User 400 Document file 500 First PJL command 600 Second PJL command

Claims (12)

When writing a PJL command in a document file, a means for determining whether or not print setting values by a plurality of PJL commands coexist in the document file,
When it is determined by the above-mentioned determination means that the print setting values by a plurality of PJL commands coexist, the coexistence elimination means for executing the process for eliminating the coexistence and the coexistence elimination means.
An image forming apparatus characterized by being provided with. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a computer, wherein the determination means and the coexistence elimination means are realized by the computer executing an application platform. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a computer, wherein the determination means and the coexistence elimination means are realized by the computer executing the firmware of the image forming apparatus. The determination means determines whether or not the print setting values by the plurality of PJL commands coexist by determining whether or not the parameters indicating the same print setting values exist in the plurality of PJL commands. The image forming apparatus according to any one of 3 to 3. The determination means according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the determination means determines whether or not a plurality of described sets of PJL exist, thereby determining whether or not print setting values by a plurality of PJL commands coexist. Image forming device. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the coexistence eliminating means presents the coexistence content to the user and determines the print setting value based on the user's selection. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the coexistence elimination means eliminates coexistence by determining a print setting value based on a preset priority. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the print setting values that are inconsistent among the plurality of print setting values are set with a high priority of the later print setting values. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the priority of the above setting is set high. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the coexistence elimination means eliminates coexistence by determining a print setting value based on preset user authority. When writing a PJL command in a document file, a determination step for determining whether or not print setting values by a plurality of PJL commands coexist in the document file, and a determination step.
When it is determined by the determination step that the print setting values by a plurality of PJL commands coexist, the coexistence elimination step for executing the process for eliminating the coexistence and the coexistence elimination step
A method for resolving the coexistence of print setting values in an image forming apparatus. When writing a PJL command in a document file, a determination step for determining whether or not print setting values by a plurality of PJL commands coexist in the document file, and a determination step.
When it is determined by the determination step that the print setting values by a plurality of PJL commands coexist, the coexistence elimination step for executing the process for eliminating the coexistence and the coexistence elimination step
A program for eliminating the coexistence of print settings to cause the computer of the image forming apparatus to execute.

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